The Online Historical Atlas of Occupational Structure and Population Geography in England and Wales 1600-2011

Editors: L. Shaw-Taylor, A. Cockerill and M. Satchell

This atlas arises from the Occupational Structure of Britain c.1379-1911 research program at the Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure. The project has been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, the Leverhulme Trust the Isaac Newton Trust (Cambridge) and the British Academy.

This is a pre-launch beta version of the Atlas. The atlas consists of two elements. The first is a set interactive maps over the period 1600-2011 that allow using to explore the evolving occupational structure and population geography of England and Wales at a variety of spatial scales. This is currently under development and not yet available for public viewing.

The second element is a more traditional textual atlas consisting of chapters on different topics over the period 1600-1911. At the moment, only two chapters are available and these are linked below. Further chapters will be added in the due course. Each chapter in the Atlas aims to provide a clear and authoritative introduction to its subject, illustrated with new material arising from the research programe. The Atlas is a public engagement project aimed at bringing our most recent research to the widest possible public, but with a particular focus on schools in the UK. By the time we are ready to launch there will be four versions of each Atlas chapter, pitched at different levels of complexity and detail. Readers may choose which level suits them best. Level 1 entries will be written with key stage 3 (ages 11-14) in mind. Level 2 entries will be optimised for key stage 4 (ages 14-16). Level 3 entries will be aimed at a sixth form audience (key stage 5, ages 16-18). Level 4 will be aimed at an undergraduate audience and the wider public but should also be of interest to academics in the field. At present, the two articles available are pitched at level 4. We hope to put the more accessible versions of the texts online in the near future. The articles are currently available only in PDF format, but we hope to develop a more sophisticated user interface in the future.

We also have an online historical transport atlas under development.

Chapter 1 The Missing Half: Female employment in Victorian England and Wales
Xuesheng You (2017)

Chapter 2 The Wool and Cotton Textile Industries in England and Wales up to 1850
Keith Sugden and Anthony Cockerill (2017)